http://www.law360.com/legalindustry Latest articles for: Legal Industry Copyright 2012 Portfolio Media, Inc. en-US Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:03:43 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/312349 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/312349 The D.C. Court of Appeals on Thursday declined to hear a challenge to a case surrounding the mandatory arbitration of attorneys' fee disputes, after its bench was unable to agree on the issue of jurisdiction. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:44:32 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311966 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311966 The Federal Circuit again denied federal judges a cost-of-living pay raise Friday but held that the judges' class action was not barred by a previous ruling, clearing the way for the suit to possibly return to the U.S. Supreme Court. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:27:09 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311817 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311817 The U.S. Supreme Court will not formally adopt the code of conduct for U.S. judges, according to a letter released Tuesday from Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to five Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:54:47 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310958 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310958 Attorneys sparred Tuesday before the U.S. Supreme Court over whether losing parties in lawsuits should be obligated to pay document translation fees — a potentially huge expense in some cross-border cases — when a court orders them to pay the winner's costs. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:21:00 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311395 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311395 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP will soon open an office in Hong Kong, expanding its footprint in Asia, and has snagged a former Shearman & Sterling LLP partner to lead the office and the firm's Asia practice, the firm announced Monday. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:07:27 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311280 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311280 The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday stayed a controversial ruling from Montana's high court finding a state law prohibiting political contributions to candidates by corporations was not struck down by the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which removed restrictions on corporate political spending. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:39:16 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311194 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/311194 The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed Jesse M. Furman for a seat on the Southern District of New York following a five-month, Republican-led filibuster over concerns about his past writings on gun control and religious clubs in schools. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:25:00 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310959 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310959 A group of career federal executives objected Thursday to their inclusion in an ethics reform and insider trading bill originally aimed at lawmakers, saying they should not be required to disclose their financial transactions in the same manner as elected officials. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:54:56 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310871 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310871 International commercial firm Bird & Bird reinforced its foothold in the African market Thursday by inking an association with the Tunisian law firm Dakhlaoui Avocats that Bird says will beef up its access to project finance opportunities, energy deals, and health care, IT and aviation work on the continent. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:41:23 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310374 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310374 A California appeals court ruled Wednesday that a law firm can invoke an arbitration clause in a retainer agreement without filing a court action, reversing a lower court's ruling pertaining to a fee dispute involving Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:39:21 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310831 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310831 President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated a Bondurant Mixson & Elmore partner for a judgeship on the Eleventh Circuit, and tapped a Nevada state judge, a Maryland magistrate judge and a Florida circuit judge to serve as district judges on their state's respective federal district courts. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:47:40 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310417 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310417 Clifford Chance LLP has formally applied to open an office in South Korea, the firm said Thursday, leading a parade of Western law firms that have announced their intent to plant flags in the country in the wake of recent free trade agreements. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:16:08 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310398 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310398 In the latest suit alleging a law school misled its students, Lincoln Memorial University's law school in Tennessee was accused of breach of contract Tuesday for telling a student that she could enroll in the school even though state law would not allow her to take the bar exam after graduation. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:09:34 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310203 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310203 The Singapore Ministry of Law on Tuesday proposed changes to the nation-state’s legal practices to allow foreign law firms to share profits and invest in equity shares in Singapore law firms as part of a strategy to promote expansion opportunities in the country. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:24:38 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310070 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310070 After months of delays and a failed filibuster attempt, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to confirm U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jose Jordan for a seat on the Eleventh Circuit, making him the first Cuban-born judge to serve on the appeals court. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:19:04 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/309666 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/309666 Sidley Austin LLP has opened the doors to a Houston office staffed with seven partners from seven different area firms, enhancing its offerings and on-the-ground presence for its energy-based clients, the firm announced Tuesday. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:04:58 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310040 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/310040 Law firms should expect a year of limited, if any, economic growth as they struggle to cut back on rising expenses following a marketwide “sluggish” end to 2011, according to a study released Wednesday by the Hildebrandt Institute and Citi Private Bank. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:06:19 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/309600 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/309600 Thompson & Knight LLP confirmed Tuesday that all 14 attorneys at its Mexico City office are joining DLA Piper at an office it has opened in the Mexican capital. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:30:13 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/309592 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/309592 New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said Tuesday that he was pushing forward to establish a new foreclosure section in New York City courts and a statewide, paperless judiciary system in 2012 — just two of his goals for the year. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:20:32 +0000 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/308989 http://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/308989 Fennemore Craig PC and other small and midsize firms boast significantly higher percentages of women partners than global powerhouses, a Law360 survey has found, revealing female lawyers can more easily defeat stereotyping and find flexibility outside BigLaw, experts said.